r/college • u/catsrcoolig • 1d ago
what are must haves for college?
[removed] — view removed post
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u/CoachInteresting7125 1d ago
A laptop with a decent battery. Textbooks for each class. A notebook or binder w/paper. Pens or pencils.
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u/rusted17 1d ago
I qould wait until the first week for textbooks. Many proffs (or students) will tell u if it's actually necessary or not. Many of my professors told us to wait since we could buy a cheaper, older, or online version instead of a physical book if it was required
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u/meowmreownya 1d ago
I was too broke to buy a good laptop so I just got a powerbank and a cord adapter. worked for me :P
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u/modernknight87 1d ago
When I was going to college for my AAS, as well as trying to keep pushing my career in the Air Force, I bought a $200 Netbook from ASUS. It was cheap, lasted over 8 hours on a charge, and did everything I needed for both jobs. It isn’t a powerhouse, but it was enough to justify $200. With Chromebooks these days, there are plenty of options.
Just need to find the right deals.
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u/Chicken_Permission22 1d ago
Get a regular backpack, as much as a tote would look cute and fashionable, a backpack would be so much more comfortable
A reusable water bottle
If you're going to a college that has rainy weather, get a raincoat and a pair of rain boots
a good pair of headphones
Not a physical thing, but when studying, I suggest using the pomodoro method
Wishing you all the best :)
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u/dinodare Conservation Bio + Wildlife Ecology & Management 🐦🐍🐋 1d ago
Get a regular backpack, as much as a tote would look cute and fashionable, a backpack would be so much more comfortable
Travel back in time and tell this to me as a freshman. I remember a time where I had good posture.
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u/Wigberht_Eadweard 1d ago
If you can afford it, an iPad and Apple Pencil. So many professors just lecture off of the textbook slides (just reading what’s written for the most part) and occasionally say something worth writing down. It’s much easier to annotate slides on the iPad than to try to take notes on what’s on the slides and pay attention to the prof for when they say something insightful.
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u/rusted17 1d ago
This. Or you can type what they say in lecture and create your own notes/study sheet
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u/MutedLynx6941 1d ago
a long phone charger, power strips, a half-gallon water bottle (if you don't have your own bathroom, saves trips out of the room to refill), i think an agenda is essential BUT it needs to fit your style of writing for it to be useful (e.g. week layout that starts on monday, open blocks for each day with no lines so i can write as much/small as i need, and a ring binder so it can lay flat when open), an extra charger for devices when you're on campus awhile long time, food you can have when dining halls suck/are closed. my mother got me a rice cooker my first year and said just hide it under the bed before room inspection bc that's what she did in 1988 and tbh it one of the best things anyone got me for college.
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u/PandaBear103123 1d ago
A planner. This is bought and never used, but I highly recommend so you don’t forget assignments and you can track your progress. I always overestimate how much I have to do so having it written down is reassuring.
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u/PerpetuallyTired74 1d ago
Good scheduling skills, determination, and a good place to go and do homework and get studying done without interruption.
I can study and do homework at home, BUT there are always interruptions. Someone knocking at the door or the dog starts barking or the cat jumps on my lap or someone else in the house asks you something. University libraries are generally packed and really aren’t a good place to find quiet uninterrupted time. I would suggest scouting out the public libraries in your area. They are free to use and often have study rooms you can use where you have completely uninterrupted quiet time.
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u/McMatey_Pirate 1d ago
A good set of headphones for listening to music or whatever when studying/working in the school library.
You’d think those places would be quiet/silent but they never really are…. there’s always that one group who are loud and admin won’t do anything because usually it’s multiple groups and everyone including staff has just accepted their presence.
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u/GamingMunster 1d ago
What I find works great is for my assignments, is to put them into an excel spreadsheet and sort by due date. Then for each one I finish, fill the box next to it with green.
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u/Themonkeyhousee 1d ago
I’m a freshman rnn! I personally think a good laptop & backpack, mattress topper (to get better sleep), plenty of chargers and some saved up cash if possible!
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u/Ill_Pride5820 MA & BA in Poli Sci/Admission Student Rep 1d ago
Vitamin c pills to fight off colds! Trust me!
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u/Pink_Spring012 1d ago
You don't need a lot of stuff sa bag mo actually. Mabibigatan lang balikat mo. Isang notebook, ballpen, power bank, water, papel, THAT'S IT! If may Ipad ka rin naman, mas magiging convenient college life mo.
And for me kailangan mo talaga ng disiplina mag-aral. Ibang-iba talaga ang college. Sobrang gulo ng sched, very unpredictable kaya you need to be disciplined lalo na sa time management
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u/MrMurica11 1d ago
Notability records lectures, creates a transcript, and will generate quick notes, flash cards, and quizzes based off what you write and audio record
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u/arochains1231 Junior | CS 1d ago
If the showers are communal, some sort of flip flops or shower shoes. You don’t want a fungal infection.
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u/Feisty_Aioli_6883 1d ago
communal don’t really matter. when i got to my dorm, my bathroom was dirty af. i still use shower shoes honestly with my bathroom (shared with one roommate).
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u/DoubleResponsible276 1d ago
I commute, and driving back home and then back to campus in large gaps is pointless in my situation, so I bring with me either in my backpack or car
- fruit, usually a banana
- power bank
- disinfecting wipes, just wipe one table and you’ll see why I carry it
- laptop/tablet charger
- water bottle and frozen bottles in the car when it’s hot
- spare clothes. I’ve had to stay on campus after getting soaked in the worst thunderstorm and it was also like 30 degrees F.
- umbrella
- and the common necessities, laptop, iPad, notebooks, textbooks, pen, pencils and calculator
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u/AnimatorRoutine5591 1d ago
Make sure you have a ti-83 or 84 calculator. Most schools will rent one out to you but it might be easier to just buy your own. Webcam is also good if you have any virtual or hybrid classes or even just need to do a group project.
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u/Imaginary-Mention-85 1d ago
If you're going STEM, I recommend the TI-84 PLUS CE for a calculator
I would also recommend a tablet of some sort. I went Samsung, but the Apple Tabs seem to be favoured by the note-taking apps. I use GoodNotes, and that app definitely favours Apple over Google/Samsung.
ChatGPT sub wouldn't hurt either. way better then Chegg since it walks you through the process for math and science problems.
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u/Classic-Way9712 1d ago
A fan 💀, you will be boiling in the first few weeks without one and possibly towards the end of the year depending on school
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u/AdEmotional7301 1d ago
Scratch paper if you’re gonna be in any math heavy courses. I love using paper for studying because for some reason my brain does not love the iPad. Also remember to bring a good blanket and medicine for when you get sick.
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u/NotNotAnxiety 1d ago
good mental health 💀